During a routine patrol on Wednesday, Webster Groves police say they spotted a familiar face inside Ivory Crockett Park and quickly moved in. Officers identified the man as 42-year-old Willie J. Barton Jr., who they report is a registered sex offender, and took him into custody.
According to the department, Barton was booked on a charge described as a sex offender physically present or loitering within 500 feet of a park with a playground, pool, or museum. Police say bond was set at $50,000 and the case has been presented to the St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office for review.
In a Facebook update posted Friday, the Webster Groves Police Department said officers recognized Barton during routine patrol at Ivory Crockett Park, arrested him at the scene and "took him into custody." The post identifies him by name, notes that he is a registered sex offender and states that the case was forwarded to the St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office. The department added that it remains committed to protecting city parks and the broader community.
Charges and the law
Police say the alleged offense falls under a Missouri statute that bars certain convicted sexual offenders from knowingly being present in or loitering within 500 feet of public parks that include playground equipment, public pools, athletic fields, or museums that serve children. That restriction is spelled out in RSMo §566.150, which classifies a first violation as a Class E felony.
Under Missouri’s sentencing rules, a Class E felony can carry a maximum of four years in prison, although any actual sentence would depend on charging decisions and a judge’s ruling in a specific case. Sentencing ranges are outlined in RSMo §558.011.
Where the arrest happened
Ivory Crockett Park sits at Bell and Almentor avenues and, according to the city’s parks page, features basketball courts, playgrounds and ballfields, as listed at Ivory Crockett Park. It functions as a neighborhood park that is regularly used for family recreation and youth sports.
What comes next
Webster Groves police say the case has been handed to the St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, which will decide whether to file formal charges and, if so, set an arraignment schedule. For general background on how prosecutors review cases and file charges across the state, see the Missouri Association of Prosecuting Attorneys.
Police are asking anyone who may have relevant information about this incident to contact Webster Groves detectives through the department’s nonemergency number.
